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Current Psychiatry Research and Reviews

Author(s): Marie-Sarah Girard* and Julien Morizot*

DOI: 10.2174/2666082218666220816100950

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Is Child Maltreatment a Risk Factor for Borderline Personality Disorder? A Systematic Review of Prospective Longitudinal Studies

Page: [262 - 290] Pages: 29

  • * (Excluding Mailing and Handling)

Abstract

Background: Borderline personality disorder (BPD) is a clinical condition associated with numerous individual and collective negative consequences. According to several etiological theories and retrospective research, child maltreatment (CM) may be considered a central factor explaining BPD development.

Objective: In order to verify this hypothesis, a systematic review of prospective longitudinal studies was conducted.

Methods: Following searches in five electronic databases, 19 articles that examined the relationship between CM (i.e., physical, sexual and emotional abuse; physical and emotional neglect) and BPD (i.e., diagnosis or severity score) were selected.

Results: Overall, the results only partly confirm the hypothesis that CM is a risk factor for BPD. Evidence for a prospective relationship between CM and later BPD is stronger in studies using a symptom count compared to a categorical diagnosis. However, the small number of studies precludes assessing the differential impacts between CM types and BPD.

Conclusion: Available prospective longitudinal studies do not unequivocally support the idea that CM is a robust risk factor for BPD. Future research needs are discussed.

Keywords: child maltreatment, borderline personality disorder, risk factor, systematic review, prospective longitudinal studies

Graphical Abstract

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